Mergers & Acquisitions

  • March 26, 2024

    FCC Urged To Require Unlocked Phones In T-Mobile-Mint Deal

    A collection of public interest groups is asking the Federal Communications Commission to attach new strings to T-Mobile's proposed $1.3 billion purchase of prepaid phone sellers Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile, including a requirement that the carrier more quickly "unlock" its phones so they can be transferred between service providers.

  • March 26, 2024

    SPAC 'Frenzy' Led To $1.6B Deal For Dog Treat Co., Suit Says

    Shareholders of a special-purpose acquisition company that merged with dog-treat box company BarkBox in a $1.6 billion deal have sued the executives and directors of both entities, alleging they breached their fiduciary duties in connection with what the complaint calls "an extreme example of the 'churn-and-burn' SPAC frenzy."

  • March 26, 2024

    FTC Urges Court To Pause Novant's NC Hospital Deal

    The Federal Trade Commission is urging a North Carolina federal court to pause Novant Health's $320 million deal for a pair of hospitals, contending the move would give Novant an "eye-popping" share of the hospital market in a Charlotte suburb.

  • March 26, 2024

    AI Weapons Detector Faces Investor Suit After Gov't Probes

    Evolv Technologies, which makes metal detectors that purportedly use artificial intelligence to detect weapons, is facing a proposed shareholder class action in Massachusetts federal court alleging that false claims about its products' abilities to screen for types of tactical knives and guns led to federal investigations and share declines.

  • March 26, 2024

    SPAC Investors Misled In $1.35B Stem Deal, Del. Suit Says

    A former stockholder of a blank-check company that merged with intelligent energy storage business Stem Inc. filed a proposed class action in Delaware's Court of Chancery Tuesday, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment in connection with the April 2021 merger.

  • March 26, 2024

    Alibaba Offers $3.75B Logistics Biz Takeover Instead Of IPO

    Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. on Tuesday went back on its plans to spin off Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Ltd. through an initial public offering and instead announced plans to buy the remaining stake in the business that it does not already own for up to $3.75 billion.

  • March 26, 2024

    6 Firms Build $340M SPAC Merger For AI-Driven Medicine Biz

    Precision medicine company OmnigenicsAI Corp. on Tuesday announced it and artificial intelligence-enabled preventative medicine company MultiplAI Health Ltd., which it recently agreed to acquire, will go public through a merger with blank-check company APx Acquisition Corp. I in a deal built by six firms, valuing the two businesses at a combined $340 million.

  • March 26, 2024

    Pot Co. Withholding Fees Despite Court Order, Chancery Told

    Three former directors of Left Coast Ventures Inc. say the cannabis company still hasn't advanced their legal defense fees for a merger-related lawsuit despite a court order to do so, and are now seeking help from Delaware's Court of Chancery to get the bills paid.

  • March 26, 2024

    Sports Agency Ballengee Merging With AI-Driven Software Co.

    Las Vegas-based software company Scepter Holdings Inc. said Tuesday it has agreed to merge with Ballengee Group LLC, a Dallas-based sports management agency focused on representing athletes in Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the UFC mixed-martial arts organization. 

  • March 26, 2024

    Arista Networks Founder To Pay SEC $1M Insider Trading Fine

    The billionaire founder of technology company Arista Networks Inc. will pay a nearly $1 million fine to settle the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's allegations that he engaged in insider trading regarding an impending acquisition, the agency announced Tuesday.

  • March 26, 2024

    Enbridge Plugs $350M Into Natural Gas Joint Venture

    Enbridge Inc., WhiteWater/I Squared Capital and MPLX LP on Tuesday announced that they will be banding together to form a joint venture that will develop, construct, own and operate natural gas pipelines and storage assets that connect the Permian Basin natural gas supply to liquefied natural gas export markets.

  • March 25, 2024

    SEC Kicks Off 'Shadow Trading' Case Against Drug Exec

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said at the start of a California federal "shadow trading" trial that a former Medivation executive made $120,000 by buying stock in a rival after learning his company would be acquired by Pfizer, while the defense said he didn't believe the trades violated securities law.

  • March 25, 2024

    Truth Social To Start Trading With Performance Tied To Trump

    Shares of former President Donald Trump's nascent social media platform Truth Social are set to begin trading Tuesday, setting up a potentially volatile ride for an unprofitable company with scant revenue.

  • March 25, 2024

    Ex-Lordstown CEO Settles SEC's 'Pre-Sale' Fraud Claims

    The former CEO of the electric pickup truck company once known as Lordstown Motors Corp. has agreed to pay $175,000 to settle the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's fraud claims over the alleged misrepresentation of its pre-sale demand for vehicles.

  • March 25, 2024

    Texas Hotel REIT Says Blackwells Wants Illegal Proxy Contest

    A Texas hotel real estate investment trust asked a Texas federal court Sunday to stop a shareholder vote "from being infected with deception and misinformation," saying a New York-based hedge fund wants to run an illegal proxy contest to take control of the company's board of directors while hiding plans to buy it.

  • March 25, 2024

    Kroger Says Sweetened Merger Deal Will Sink Antitrust Doubts

    Kroger told a Colorado state judge Monday that it plans to "enhance" its $24.6 billion Albertson's merger to satisfy federal and state regulators, a plan it did not yet describe in detail and that Colorado said it has not seen.

  • March 25, 2024

    EV Maker Fisker Says It's Considering Restructuring

    Electric vehicle company Fisker told federal regulators it is considering restructuring after the collapse of partnership talks with a "large automaker" endangered its attempts to secure $150 million in new financing.

  • March 25, 2024

    Del. Justices Undo Toss Of Brookfield-TerraForm Merger Suit

    Delaware's Supreme Court on Monday reversed the dismissal of a suit from former shareholders of TerraForm Power Inc. who challenged a squeeze-out merger by Brookfield Asset Management Inc., concluding a proxy statement failed to fully disclose alleged conflicts of interest involving special advisers Morgan Stanley & Co LLC and Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

  • March 25, 2024

    FTX Reaches Deals For $884M In Ch. 11 AI Biz Stock Sales

    Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading Ltd. informed a Delaware court that it has reached agreements with two dozen purchasers for sales of the debtor's holdings in artificial intelligence company Anthropic PBC worth $884.1 million.

  • March 25, 2024

    TreeHouse Shareholders Get New Chance To Sue Execs

    An Illinois appellate panel reversed a Cook County judge Friday and revived a derivative lawsuit demanding that TreeHouse Foods sue three individual executives the shareholders claim materially misled them by falsely stating that two newly acquired companies were being successfully integrated into the food company's operations.

  • March 25, 2024

    Qualcomm Halts Plan To Buy Israeli Biz Under Regulatory Heat

    The Federal Trade Commission is celebrating Qualcomm's decision to abandon its attempts at acquiring an Israeli company that makes chips that allow vehicle-to-vehicle communication after too much regulatory pushback.

  • March 25, 2024

    Paul Weiss-Led AbbVie Inks Up To $212M Deal For Landos Bio

    AbbVie Inc., represented by Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP, said Monday it will pay up to $212.5 million for Cooley LLP-led Landos Biopharma Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for autoimmune diseases.

  • March 25, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Last week in Delaware's Court of Chancery, litigants battled as Truth Social went public, Carl Icahn and Tripadvisor hit a roadblock, and more shareholders wailed about "invasive" bylaws. Oil drilling and pharmaceutical mergers sparked new lawsuits, and a sewing machine trademark owner sued to end a contract.

  • March 25, 2024

    Owens Corning Extends $3.9B Masonite Deal Review

    Construction materials manufacturer Owens Corning has agreed to give antitrust enforcers more time to review a planned $3.9 billion deal to purchase door-maker Masonite International Corp.

  • March 25, 2024

    Trian, Blackwells Double Down On Disney Activist Campaigns

    As The Walt Disney Company's annual shareholder meeting approaches, two activist investors are ramping up their campaigns against the storied entertainment company and imploring fellow shareholders to vote for their separate slate of director candidates at the April 3 gathering.

Expert Analysis

  • Terror Funding Suit Could Affect Inherited Jurisdiction In NY

    Author Photo

    Depending on how New York’s highest court answers two questions certified from the Second Circuit in a case litigating companies’ liability for terrorist attacks, foreign companies with no relevant New York contacts may be subject to suit in state courts by virtue of an asset purchase, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Perspectives

    A Judge's Pitch To Revive The Jury Trial

    Author Photo

    Ohio state Judge Pierre Bergeron explains how the decline of the jury trial threatens public confidence in the judiciary and even democracy as a whole, and he offers ideas to restore this sacred right.

  • Deal-Making Strategies To Explore Amid 2023's Uncertainties

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at White & Case delve into the evolving risks deal makers face in the remainder of 2023, detailing several approaches — such as activist simulations, stock-for-stock deals and divestitures — that may deliver value in an uncertain market.

  • Opinion

    Calif. Policymakers Should Aid Crashing Cannabis Market

    Author Photo

    As California’s cannabis sector nears the brink of financial collapse, it may be time for the state government to seriously consider potential bailout programs for the embattled industry — though the crisis also presents strategic buying opportunities for those with a high tolerance for uncertainty, says Michelle Mabugat at Greenberg Glusker.

  • How To Recognize And Recover From Lawyer Loneliness

    Author Photo

    Law can be one of the loneliest professions, but there are practical steps that attorneys and their managers can take to help themselves and their peers improve their emotional health, strengthen their social bonds and protect their performance, says psychologist and attorney Traci Cipriano.

  • Opinion

    Litigation Funding Disclosure Should Be Mandatory

    Author Photo

    Despite the Appellate Rules Committee's recent deferral of the issue of requiring third-party litigation funding disclosure, such a mandate is necessary to ensure the even-handed administration of justice across all cases, says David Levitt at Hinshaw.

  • Recalling USWNT's Legal PR Playbook Amid World Cup Bid

    Author Photo

    As the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team strives to take home another World Cup trophy, their 2022 pay equity settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation serves as a good reminder that winning in the court of public opinion can be more powerful than a victory inside the courtroom, says Hector Valle at Vianovo.

  • Colorado Antitrust Reform Carries Broad State Impact

    Author Photo

    Colorado recently became the latest state to update and expand its antitrust laws, and the new act may significantly affect enforcement and private litigation, particularly when it comes to workers and consumers, says Diane Hazel at Foley & Lardner.

  • Mootness Fees Are Losing Traction In Del. And Federal Courts

    Author Photo

    The Delaware Chancery's recent decision in Anderson v. Magellan Health deals a significant blow to plaintiffs attorneys seeking mootness fees for merger litigation brought in that state, and federal courts are trending in the same direction, say Paul Marino and Michael Fialkoff at Day Pitney.

  • Opinion

    Merger Guidelines Should Provide For Competition Trustees

    Author Photo

    Following the U.S. antitrust agencies' release of draft merger guidelines, retired U.S. Court of Federal Claims Chief Judge Susan Braden suggests a court-appointed competition trustee would help ensure U.S. competition without impairing economic prosperity.

  • Senate Hearing Highlights Antitrust Hazards In PGA-LIV Deal

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Senate's recent questioning of PGA Tour COO Ron Price on the proposed deal with LIV Golf and its release of a dossier of framework agreements covered a variety of issues that could exacerbate antitrust concerns, including the predatory purchasing theory of competitive harm, free-riding and alternate funding, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Investors With ESG Aims Should Heed Antitrust Reporting Rules

    Author Photo

    As investors globally are embracing environmental, social and governance investing, regulatory agencies have made clear that ESG initiatives are not immune from antitrust scrutiny, and investors cannot count on receiving special exemptions from the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act reporting requirements, say Jonathan Gleklen and Francesca Pisano at Arnold & Porter.

  • US Antitrust Approach Toward ESG Clashes With EU Stance

    Author Photo

    A comparison between how EU and U.S. antitrust enforcers have approached companies' cooperative environmental, social and corporate governance efforts highlights America's comparatively harsh stance, contributing to a difficult compliance climate for international businesses, say attorneys at Steptoe & Johnson.

  • When Investment Banks Can Sell Real Estate In Calif.

    Author Photo

    When investment banks sell businesses that own property in California, they may run into trouble if they are not licensed real estate brokers, unless the property is merely incidental to the deal at hand, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Merger Guidelines' Broad Tack Ignores Recent Precedent

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission's new proposed merger guidelines are consistent with the Biden administration's expansive approach to antitrust enforcement, but they fail to grapple meaningfully with much of modern economic precedent and court decisions requiring greater agency rigor in merger analysis, say attorneys at Freshfields.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Mergers & Acquisitions archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!